Anecdote # 1: As I tucked Zach in the other night for bed, I curled up next to him and asked what he wants to be when he grows up. I enjoy asking him this every few days; he has a different answer everytime. “A French teacher!” He exclaimed. Seeing as I graduated with a Bachelors in French, this excited me – I always thought I would be a music AND French teacher, but I had to choose one…and actually I got to choose the one that I love most. So, I told Zach that it would be difficult to be a French teacher without speaking the language. I began speaking French to him – telling him, that he’d be such a great teacher, and he can be anything he wants when he grows up, and we could start speaking a little bit of French everyday, not just ‘cuz for one moment – one minute in his 3 year old life he claims to want to be a French teacher – but because speaking French to the children was something that I swore I’d do for them at this crucial sponge-for-languages young age. The more I spoke French, the funnier the look on Zach’s face became. He wrinkled his brow, pursed his lips (like a true Frenchman, I might add) and said, “Ahhh, mommy. Enough with the silly French talk, already.” Good luck getting a French teaching position, dude.

Anecdote #2: Matthew was student of the week in his kindergarten class – this role provided special responsibilities such as line-leader and white board eraser. He also “got” to bring in a snack for all 24 students. He got to bring show and tell on Wednesday and on Thursday his family was welcome to come in for family show and tell. Fun, fun!

After school on Thursday, I asked Matthew a question. Who was the lady there to help one of the kids? I knew she was there to assist with one child who needs extra special help, I just wondered if Matthew knew her name. Matthew responded, “Oh, she’s from the office.”

“Do you know her name?” I asked.

“No,” he said, “She’s just one of the principal’s sergeants.”

“Sergeants?! Is that what she’s called?”

“Nope, that’s just what I call them. She’s one of the sergeants from the principal.”

Anecdote #3: Trying to be a good mom who occasionally recognizes the good in children (as opposed to constantly scolding the bad), I complimented Zach the other day after he nicely asked for a drink.

“Zachary!” I exclaimed. “You have such nice manners!!”

Zach looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, “Today!”